“Tonight is going to be the biggest outdoor event this year, besides the storming of the Capitol”, said host Trevor Noah. The 63rd annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday night. Originally planned for January, the ceremony was delayed by six weeks following rising coronavirus numbers in Los Angeles. Held outside, the awards saw records broken and aimed to highlight the Black Lives Matter protests. Here are the biggest highlights from the 2021 Grammy Awards.
MEGAN THEE STALLION MAKES HISTORY
Megan Thee Stallion continued her unassailable rise into stardom, picking up a number of awards at the Grammys. The Houston rapper won Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for her track ‘Savage’ featuring Beyoncé. This was the first time a female artist has won the Best Rap Song award.
BEYONCÉ BREAKS RECORDS
Beyoncé won four awards last night, bringing her lifetime total to 28 Grammys. Beyoncé now has more Grammys than any other woman and equalled the total of legendary producer Quincy Jones. Among her awards, Beyoncé received Best R&B Performance for her song ‘Black Parade’ which was released last year on Juneteenth. Speaking of her win, Beyoncé said “I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the world“.
KANYE WEST WINS BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
Despite urinating on one of his Grammys in 2020, it appears the Awards ceremony bears no ill will, having awarded Kanye West with Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Jesus is King. One Twitter user jokes that “‘Kanye bout to pee in that one too and then submit his work next year”.
GRAMMYS FOCUS ON BLACK LIVES MATTER
Following years of controversy surrounding the support of black culture and artists, the Grammy awards took the time to pay tribute to the BLM protests of the past year. Lil Baby performed his song ‘The Bigger Picture’; a dramatic showdown with riot police, featuring a speech from activist Tamika Mallory. H.E.R won Song of the Year for ‘I Can’t Breathe’, a track written in response to the murder of George Floyd.
TAYLOR SWIFT WINS ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift was awarded the Album of the Year for ‘Folklore’, a surprise album that was recorded in its entirety during quarantine. This is the third time she has won the award, a feat only three other artists have managed; Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.
GRAMMYS SWITCH IT UP
One of the most noticeable changes from the format of the Awards was the performance configuration. Performers faced each other, keeping their distance, before masking up to applaud each win. Artists who performed included Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B as well as the debut of Silk Sonic, the new project by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak.
BTS FANS CALL OUT GRAMMYS
BTS fans flooded social media with criticism of the awards ceremony following the group’s loss for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, which was awarded to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. The Hashtag #Scammys was trending on Twitter with fans enraged that BTS performed for the ceremony but were snubbed for the award. One fan wrote on social media “BTS doesn’t need the Grammys but the Grammys need BTS”.
PHOEBE BRIDGERS WOWS IN THOM BROWNE AND MORE
Staying true to her signature skeletal aesthetic, Bridgers wore a skeleton dress designed by Thom Browne which featured beaded and crystal bones. Jhené Aiko arrived on the red carpet in a voluminous floor-length all-pink ensemble while Billie Eilish came out with a pink boxy patterned shirt with matching trousers, gloves and bucket hat.
BAD BUNNY IN BURBERRY AND MORE
Some standout looks included Bad Bunny who gave us a playful fit on the red carpet yesterday, wearing an all-black Burberry ensemble topped with a fuzzy beanie and accompanying sunflower. Harry Styles was elegant in a feather boa, paired with a Gucci leather suit while host Trevor Noah went for a no-frills Gucci tuxedo.
Click here for the full list of Grammy Award winners.
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